Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-04-23
MARTINsBuRG INDEPENDENT.
Saturday. April 23, 1857.
The Wonders of 0dor

between d convict and the hounds.
1t came about in this way.
Mr.. Williams claimed, and he was
backed by Captain James, thai any
convict could be selected out Of 2
hundred and seDt off to circle through
the woods, passing through dozen
squads OF convicts that an hour Ia
Ter, he could put his hounds on that
co1yict's track, and they would
thread h;m through the squads of
convicts, never be shaken from he
individual track, and finally bring
him up. ! remarked that | could
understand how the hoIlGs
might carry congict's track
ID opgh crowd OF outsiders rom
some scent OF the camp, but not how
they could separate one convict from
another.
1'here NAV be hundred con-
yicts," he said, "clotbed precisely
alike, and wearing precisely the
same shoes. They may be fed
toaethe on precisely the same food
ana sleep in hunks that TO och each
ooier under precisely Che sane COW
er, and vet each one Of them has 2
scent that marks him just rs dis;inc,-
" to my hoi0ds from his follows
as bis appearance marks him und Ell
your deliberate study
"And do you expect me to be
lieve that toe dogs can catch this
see ! fro N the flying touch OF bis
th,ck shoes on the haid ground"
"Uodoubtediv. And futbe~. lie
may stop in a squad aod chaaae
shoes with convict AID the dogs
will sill follow him.
On tie hardert grornd his soeot
viii be plain TO them though his
shoe soles are naif an linen " ck.
When he Iuns through Toe voocs,
where his clothes touch the bushes,
they will trail him, heads up, in full
cry, fifty yards, running parallel,
but away from where he ran"
"Do you mean that you can take
fifty ccnvicts, all clad in cCnvicts
suits, let them run through TIE
bushes then send the convict the
dogs are trailing through the same
bushes, and the scent of bis boCy
left on the yielding twigs as BIS
clothes brush them, will lead the
hounds through the maze p
eyes fifty yards away they will
run it parallel at full speed. To
prove this, / will start q convict.
/ will let others follow him. ] will
let him make semicircle in the
woods with fifth yards radius
When the hounds come to this, ia,
stead of following the curve they
viii scent the opposite side OF the
circle, fifty yards away, cut across
to it take the track up there and
follow it..
A gaunt convict, long Of leg and
flank, was selected for the run. He
was told to put off quickly, circle
in the woods, take a swift run over
the fields, roads, and through every
squad Of convicts he could find in
his way. This he did. The hounds
were then loafiDg about the stock
AIDE yard, as listless lot of dogs as
ever was seen. "I'm tempted" said
Mr.. Williams, "to let the convict
ride horse for a mile after he
has run awhile. / have had dogs
trail a convict on horseback foGl
miles, and then take the track where
he jumped from the horse" BY
this time the flying convict was 8
small speck on the broad fields, and
in a moment more had melted into
the horizon and was gone, as i
indeed, he had found that liberty fol
which his sole painted, and had gone
as the strong winged birds go wher
they vanish in the blue ether.
In an hour we mounted our horses